Gluten Free Kulfi White Chocolate Almond Bars

Leaves just barely starting to fall, crisp under my bike tires during my morning ride; the cemetery by my house gets that September glow -- the headstones looking particularly keen, mossy beds and rust worn faces smiling against the breeze and warm sun. I can feel fall coming. Despite the lingering heat, I find myself imagining the trees painted in jewel tones.

This is my first autumn here in Charlottesville, and Logan tells me (often) that it's the best season for this city. With the fall harvest on its way, the trees burning in blushing reds and yellows, and the university beginning to buzz into activity I see why. The anticipation for full-fledged autumn is bringing a lolling smile to my mouth, and a sparkle to my eyes.

It's one of my favorite months, anyway. It's my birthday month, and it brings up memories of school beginnings -- beloved opportunities to get nerdy in a community of like-minded book-worms. I have this notion instilled in me that this is a time for prepping the mind for excellent work to come. And what with out chocolate business slowly growing towards launch, it seems the feeling is purposeful.

September, for me, has always been a month packed with birthdays. There are a lot of Virgos (and early Libras) in my family. So, inevitably, this time of the year brings up memories not just of first-day-of-school excitement, but also of fluffy birthday cake, colored tissue paper, family gatherings. I love the smell of summer dying to bring life to pumpkin soup, apple pie, and pomegranate sangria season.

Logan and I took a trip to Roanoke recently, and found some delicious peanut-butter-chocolate-rice-krispy-bars. These almond butter bars are my take on that treat, but with a white chocolate coating made to taste like classic Indian kulfi. Kulfi is typically a frozen yogurt popsicle spiced with cardamom, rose, and pistachios. I figured white chocolate would be a great pairing with those flavors.

I was right.

Easy to make but complex in flavor composition, these bars are perfect paired with after dinner drinks and good company. The almond butter bar tastes like raw cookie dough, and the white chocolate is creamy, floral, and nutty. The cardamom, to me, adds an almost citrusy vibe to the mix. I think it would pair well with an orange or lemon liqueor.